Yahoo! News: Religion News

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• Vatican unveils new frescoes in top catacomb
• Vatican unveils restored catacombs with Google Maps tour
• Ohio court upholds firing in school Bible case
• U.S. pastor found guilty in church trial for performing son's gay marriage

Vatican unveils new frescoes in top catacomb Posted: 19 Nov 2013 02:37 PM PST ROME (AP) — The Vatican on Tuesday unveiled newly restored frescoes in the Catacombs of Priscilla, known for housing the earliest known image of the Madonna with Child — and frescoes said by some to show women priests in the early Christian church.

Vatican unveils restored catacombs with Google Maps tour Posted: 19 Nov 2013 11:55 AM PST The Vatican on Tuesday unveiled a series of catacombs used by early Christians in Rome after a major restoration, including an online virtual tour by Google Maps offering a glimpse into the underground wonders. The Vatican's culture minister, Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, said the catacombs "were a living and breathing symbol of the first Christians, of their daily lives", as he took guests through the subterranean passages. A new function on Google Maps allows users to take a limited tour of the vast complex under Rome's Villa Ada park and gaze at the interiors with a 360-degree view like the one used above-ground for Street View. The Priscilla catacombs, which date back nearly 2,000 years and were built inside what used to be a quarry, are considered the most interesting in Rome and include a basilica where pope Sylvester (314-335) is buried.

Ohio court upholds firing in school Bible case Posted: 19 Nov 2013 09:59 AM PST COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A public school district was legally justified in firing a science instructor who refused to remove religious materials from his classroom, a divided Ohio Supreme Court said Tuesday in a ruling that stopped short of addressing issues the case raised about the teaching of creationism and intelligent design.

U.S. pastor found guilty in church trial for performing son's gay marriage Posted: 18 Nov 2013 05:33 PM PST By Dave Warner SPRING CITY, Pennsylvania (Reuters) - A Pennsylvania pastor on trial by Methodist church officials for officiating at his son's 2007 same-sex marriage ceremony was found guilty on Monday of violating church law and being disobedient. Reverend Frank Schaefer, pastor of the Zion United Methodist church in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, testified he had been conflicted about performing the ceremony, but chose to violate his denomination's teachings out of love for his child. The verdict came after an all-day hearing at a church camp near Spring City, Pennsylvania, and was delivered by the jury of nine men and four women. Alfred Gwinn, a retired bishop who presided at the hearing, said there were at least nine votes for a guilty verdict, as dictated by church law.

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